eternity, forever, forever and ever

The Greek that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)

In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)

See also forever, eternal life and salvation.

complete verse (Hebrews 5:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 5:6:

  • Uma: “And in another verse God also said: ‘You are Priest forever, like the work of Melkisedek long ago.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “In a different verse God also said, ‘You are the one to take the place of Malkisadik the priest of old and your priesthood has no end.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there’s also a written word of His where He said, ‘Just like Melchizedik, the priest long ago, there is no end to your being a priest.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There is also that which he caused-to-be-written which says, ‘You (sing.) are a priest forever like the priesthood of Melkizedek.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And another thing he said in another part of the writing says, ‘As for you (sing.), you will-be priest without ending, like the high/important priesthood of Melquisedec.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And there is another word written in the Holy Book which says: ‘Now you are the priest forever. You take up the work at which worked the priest Melchizedek.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 5:6

Said is a different word from the one used in the last verse, but the writer often varies his choice of words for reasons of style. There is no difference in meaning.

A literal rendering of He also said in another place could imply that God also said something in a different geographical location. It may be useful to translate this clause as “God’s words are also recorded in another part of the holy writings” or “In another place in the holy writings God also said.”

You will be a priest forever is often expressed negatively as “You will never cease to be a priest.” Psalm 110.4 does not refer to a “high priest” but only to a priest, but there is no difference in meaning.

Melchizedek’s mysterious role will be discussed in detail in chapter 7. In Genesis 14.17-24 it is stated that Melchizedek was a priest, but there is no suggestion that he founded an order or succession of priests. In Good News Translation, priestly is added to explain order. In the priestly order of Melchizedek probably means no more than “like Melchizedek” (see 7.15). It may be rendered as “in the way in which Melchizedek was a priest” or “similar to the manner in which Melchizedek functioned as a priest.”

The writer sometimes quotes the same text several times, making a different point each time. (See comments on 4.7 and 6.20.) This is again true of the quotation from Psalm 110.4. Here and in verse 10 the emphasis is on God, the speaker.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .